Jaime Berube knows how expensive diapers can be.

She used disposable diapers for the oldest of her three children before considering an alternative.

“There has to be a better way,” the Auburn mother said. Putting a baby in diapers can cost over $100 per month, she said.

Berube used cloth diapers for her second and third child. But that is not practical for everyone, she said. 

“Everyone thinks that cloth diapers is the answer,” she said. “It’s a lot more detailed than that.”

For one, many laundromats don’t allow cloth diapers to be washed in their machines. So, someone living in an apartment without a washing machine is out of luck, she said.

Second, most day care centers require disposable diapers.

“Cloth diapers are cheaper in the long run, but require a lot of dedication,” Berube said. 

To help those in need who can’t afford diapers, Berube has organized a No Child Wet Behind diaper drive and 5K.

She and her three children, Lydia, Gabriel and Solomon, are painting large boxes with baby blue and pink paint. The 15 or so boxes will be placed around the Twin Cities area to collect packages of diapers. 

Her goal is to collect 6,000 diapers for the Trinity Jubilee Center, a soup kitchen in downtown Lewiston that hands out 3,000 diapers a month to 170 families. 

“Diapers are a huge need that often goes unnoticed,” said Erin Reed, Trinity’s executive director. 

She said Trinity can purchase fresh produce for 8 cents a pound and dry goods for 16 cents per pound at the Good Shepherd Food Bank, but they pay full retail price for diapers.

“If we don’t get any (diapers) donated, it costs about $450 per month,” Reed said. “I would love to supply Erin with a two-month supply, which is 6,000 diapers. That would be fabulous.”

Berube will be in front of the Auburn BigLots! store from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 2, to collect diapers and to register people for the No Child Wet Behind 5K and family fun run. 

The run/walk will be held on the wooded trails of Minot Memorial Park on May 21. Money raised will be used to purchase more diapers for Trinity.

One in three mothers struggle to provide enough diapers for their young ones, said Berube, a doula by trade. Children left in dirty diapers longer than they should be leads to a host of problems, including diaper rash, frustration and in some cases, even physical abuse, Berube said. 

She said the No Child Wet Behind 5K and fun run will be a fun day for the entire family. She plans to have tables for vendors and is hoping to have a food truck or two. Jason Tardy and his high-energy juggling show will perform. 

The entry fee for the one mile run/walk is $5 and the 5K run is $25. Register at at runinarace.com. 

“We’re so grateful that Jaime is organizing this,” Reed said. “A friend of mine was doing a No Child Wet Behind diaper drive in another state, and I was thinking what a huge help that would be. Then, in the middle of our daily chaos of cooking lunch and helping with job applications and handing out toiletries, the phone rang and it was Jaime,” she said. 

What: Diaper collection and No Child Wet Behind 5K registration

Where: BigLots!, 730 Center St., Auburn

When: Saturday, April 2, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

What: No Child Wet Behind 5K and family fun run

Where: Minot Memorial Park, 23 Shaw Hill Road, Minot

When: Saturday, May 21, at 9 a.m. 

Why: To collect diapers and funds to purchase diapers for the Trinity Jubilee Center in Lewiston. 

More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/446791572171374/

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